Readers differ on what religion means to them

POLL

What does your religion mean to you? We started exploring this question last week. As always, many of the readers posted great responses online. Our poll had technical problems for a few days last week so we have very few votes. Please vote for your opinion today.

The first choice that I offered was a fairly common use of the word "religion". I suggested Option 1: A religion is an institution to express belief in, worship of, and obedience to a supernatural God. Many of our readers are traditional in their religious beliefs. I expected them to say this is exactly how they feel about their religion. It didn't happen.

Some expressed total commitment to faith but were actually anti-religion. ROMANS118, for example, said "It's not about religion. It's about a relationship with our Lord and Maker, Jesus Christ." PACIFICWATERMAN was stronger. He said: "Religion is and has been the handiwork of SATAN for the most part, particularly since the first century."

We mentioned last week, and readers emphasized, that some people accept the membership in a religion, or use its name, without fully following its tenets or meticulously following its teachings. If this describes you, you were invited to vote for Option 2: My religion defines a starting point for my thinking about God and religious practices but I differ in some beliefs and some practices. SCHMENKEY fits in here. He said: "Option 2 defines me the best. It allows me to practice my religion without falling into the rut of worshipping a certain way because that's the rule."

Perhaps our reader GMLOGMD would vote for Option 2. His view is: "Like it or not religion has given mankind a book of rules and laws that has made it possible for mankind to coexist. Otherwise the stronger would prey on the weaker without consequences. Living by the laws of nature would be unfathomable for most people." MRCLAY combines a surprising set of beliefs. He told us that: "...atheism and deism are not necessarily incompatible..." I'd like to hear more.

The third possibility we offered was Option 3: My religious identification does not describe my beliefs about God or my practices. I expected some to say that they stay with a religion for family reasons or social reasons. I didn't hear much of this. Does it fit you?

As I write, the online poll so far has no votes for Option 4: I may or may not accept the word religion, but I belong to an organization which includes a variety of studies, actions and purposes which are humanly significant without being based in a supernatural God.

If this describes you, please vote for it in the online poll.

All of our choices above assumed that you have an organization or a label that you apply to your religious or philosophical practices. Some readers simply don't do that. These readers were invited to vote for Option 5: I am actively exploring the significant questions of life but I don't need to identify with an organization or a religion in this process. One third of our readers chose this point of view.

MANSTEREZ explained: "Option 5 describes me perfectly. Since religion requires beliefs and beliefs do not require scientifically provable facts, I cannot in good conscience accept any part of religion in my personal search for the truth. We exist, as far as we know for sure, solely in the physical universe in measurable form. To insinuate otherwise is completely non-sensical and borderline insanity." BADMONKEY said" ... it's called Science!" DREAMWALKERJB said "..., I have at times described myself as a Messianic Judeo-Christian naturist of Taoist influence."

We all know that some readers won't find a home with any of these categories. Some opted for Option 6: None of these. HBFOREVER said "As I child, I was forced to attend and belong to an organized religious group. I listened to their preachings and witnessed their hypocrisy in their actions. I walked away from the 'religions' but not from God. I am a believer in Spirituality, but have very little faith in humanity." 45YRSINCOC added: Personally I believe that organized religion is the world's first and most successful con game." DMKFUN argued: Religion is nothing more than believing that everyone else has to believe as you do about something." BADMONKEY411 explained: Atheism in my mind would be just as insipid as being a Christian, Muslim... both ideas force a dogma of belief system or lack thereof on an already strained society."

BUILDERGUY20 said:" I chose not to be a part of any religion. I believe that all religions give God a real bad name." ATHEISTGRINGO "Religion is doing what you're told regardless of what is right. Morality is doing what is right regardless of what you're told."

Remember the question we are discussing is what "religion" really means in your life. Your voting in the online poll and your comments are anonymous. Please vote in the poll at lower right, and join the discussion below to tell us what you think about the organization or tradition or process you use in seeking to understand the world and our role in it.

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